Video: Houston Rockets fall victim to mascot scare prank

The Houston Rockets mascot, known for scaring fans as they grab some grub during intermissions, decided to target some bigger victims … the players themselves.

As the Rockets enter the Toyota Center before a morning practice, many keeping a close eye on the mascot, Clutch plays it perfectly by just standing still. But after the workout, with many players distracted on their phones, the mascot awakes from his hibernation.

And the result is pretty awesome.

Dwight Howard’s reaction takes the cake, with the phone toss and kick to the groin self-defence move.

But something tells me Superman knew about this ‘scare’ ahead of time.

The takeaway lesson for basketball players and fans in Houston? Beware the bear.

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Bruce Garrioch is an award-winning journalist and a must-read in the hockey community. A Day-Oner at the Ottawa Sun, Garrioch is one of the top sports journalists in the country, covering the Senators since their return to the NHL in 1992-93. A 2009 winner of an Ontario Newspaper Award for his coverage of the Dany Heatley saga, Garrioch has a strong ability to break news and brings inside information with his Sunday NHL column, one of the most popular in the country. It is read by GMs, players and coaches who want the inside scoop. Garrioch has covered the 2008 Stanley Cup final for Sun Media, the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City and 2006 Games in Turin, Italy. Mainly, Garrioch has the pulse of the Ottawa Senators. If people want to know what's happening they turn to him to get the info on contracts, negotiations, signings, trades and, of course, games.

Keaton Robbins is a national online editor with Sun Media and former reporter for the Toronto Sun. An advocate of North American soccer, Keaton also has a deep interest in the NHL, OHL, and NBA. He wishes every athlete played less like Rob Schremp and more like Danny Dichio.

Sun Media's leading soccer columnist, Larson has been following Major League Soccer since '96 and reports on the Canadian men's national team and Toronto FC. Follow him every week on Sun sites across Canada, Slam sports and in the Toronto Sun.

Matt Day has been an employee with Sun Media since June 2008. He began working as a jack-of-all-trades journalist in Niagara and is now a national online editor in Toronto. He still brags about being captain of his high school’s championship-winning football team. Matt’s interests include the NFL, NHL, junior hockey and five-pin bowling.